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Ganjava गावजबान
Onosma bracteatum
Part used: Whole Plant
| Rasa (taste) | Tikta (Bitter), Kashaya (Astringent) |
|---|---|
| Guna (qualities) | Laghu (Light), Ruksha (Dry) |
| Virya (potency) | Ushna (Hot) |
| Vipaka | Katu (Pungent) |
| Dosha | Balances Kapha & Vata |
| Prabhava | Classical systemic action |
Key takeaways
- Botanical name: Onosma bracteatum
- Part used: Whole Plant
- Dosha action: Balances Kapha & Vata
- Typical dose: Whole plant powder 3–6 g per day; infusion 40–80 ml.
Ganjava in other languages
Introduction
Ganjava is Gaozaban (Onosma bracteatum), a bristly borage-family herb of the western Himalaya whose blue-purple flowers and rough leaves are used as a cooling drug.
It is better known in Unani medicine, where Gaozaban is a standard cardiac and nervine tonic, and it entered Ayurvedic practice through that shared tradition. It is used in fever, burning and complaints of the heart and mind.
Classification
Family Boraginaceae. The whole plant, chiefly leaf and flower, is officinal. Rasa: Madhura, Tikta. Guna: Laghu, Snigdha. Virya: Sheeta. Vipaka: Madhura. Doshaghnata: pacifies Vata and Pitta.
Uses & benefits
Given in fever with burning, in thirst, and as a Hridya and Medhya drug in palpitation, anxiety and low mood. Also used in dry cough and hoarseness for its demulcent quality. In this catalogue it appears in Brahmi Vati.
Gaozaban for the heart and mind
Its principal reputation is as a Hridya drug — settling to the heart — used where palpitation and anxiety occur together.
Gaozaban in fever and dry cough
Cooling and demulcent, it is used in fevers with burning and in a dry irritable cough.
Dosage — how much to take
Whole plant powder 3–6 g per day; infusion 40–80 ml. Often taken as a syrup in Unani practice.
Dosage varies with age, constitution and condition — confirm with a qualified Vaidya.
Traditional uses — questions answered from the classical texts
Answers are drawn from the citations and properties recorded for this drug. No chapter-and-verse reference appears that the record does not carry.
What is Ganjava traditionally used for in Ayurveda?
Given in fever with burning, in thirst, and as a Hridya and Medhya drug in palpitation, anxiety and low mood. Also used in dry cough and hoarseness for its demulcent quality. In this catalogue it appears in Brahmi Vati.
What are the Ayurvedic properties of Ganjava?
Rasa Tikta (Bitter), Kashaya (Astringent), Guna Laghu (Light), Ruksha (Dry), Virya Ushna (Hot), Vipaka Katu (Pungent). Dosha action: Balances Kapha & Vata. Prabhava: Classical systemic action.
Why is Ganjava classified the way it is?
In dravya-guna a drug's dosha action follows from its taste, qualities, potency and post-digestive effect. Ganjava carries Ushna (Hot) virya and Katu (Pungent) vipaka, which together give the recorded action: Balances Kapha & Vata.
Which part of Ganjava is used medicinally?
The part used is Whole Plant.
How much Ganjava is taken, and how?
Whole plant powder 3–6 g per day; infusion 40–80 ml. Often taken as a syrup in Unani practice. Dosage varies with age, constitution and condition — confirm it with a qualified Vaidya.
When should Ganjava be avoided?
Generally well tolerated. Borage-family plants contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids in varying amounts, which are hepatotoxic with prolonged high intake — so this is a drug for defined courses rather than indefinite daily use, and it is avoided in liver disease and in pregnancy.
Where does Ganjava grow?
Western Himalaya from Kashmir to Uttarakhand between roughly 1,500 and 3,000 m, on open rocky slopes.
Classical references
- Unani materia medica — Gaozaban
Long-established as a cardiac and nervine tonic; adopted into Indian practice through the shared tradition. - Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India — Gojihva
Onosma species; identity and dose.
Safety & precautions
Generally well tolerated. Borage-family plants contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids in varying amounts, which are hepatotoxic with prolonged high intake — so this is a drug for defined courses rather than indefinite daily use, and it is avoided in liver disease and in pregnancy.
Where it grows
Western Himalaya from Kashmir to Uttarakhand between roughly 1,500 and 3,000 m, on open rocky slopes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gaozaban an Ayurvedic or Unani drug?
Chiefly Unani, where it is a standard cardiac and nervine tonic. It entered Indian Ayurvedic practice through that shared tradition and appears in some classical compounds.
Why the caution about long use?
Borage-family plants contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which can harm the liver with prolonged high intake. It is used in defined courses rather than indefinitely.
